BUSINESS Q&A: Love of candles ignites dream

Joan Watkins (left) assists as her sister Judy Fowler as she hand dips tapers in wax melted at 180 degrees. “It takes a lot to get this going,” Fowler said of making each batch of candles. “That is why hand-dipped candles are so expensive.”

Becca Nelson Sankey/Special to the Standard-Times

Rose-shaped candles are just one of the many candle creations that are available at Candles Handmade in San Angelo.

Judy Fowler said the best part about her job is lighting up people’s lives — with candles, that is.

Candles helped Fowler get through her own tough times. More than 10 years ago, a knee injury forced Fowler to quit her job as a jewelry consultant in lieu of work she could do sitting.

“I always loved candles,” Fowler said. “I started reading, I got a mold, went to some thrift stores and got some old pots and started making candles.”

Craft shows proved lucrative, but owning her own business was Fowler’s dream: About 20 months ago, she made it a reality, opening Candles Handmade by JF.

The shop on Sherwood Way is chock full of candles of every size, fragrance, color and mold. Shelves on nearly every wall are stocked with simple candles — solid colors in clear containers — to more intricate designs, including candles in the shape of roses and arranged in bouquets to beer bottle candles that smell like beer to smaller candles in Copenhagen chewing tobacco tins.

When asked what inspires her designs, Fowler taps her temple. “I just come up with it. I can do just about anything.”

Fowler said she usually works from 5 a.m. to midnight when she makes candles, a task that includes measuring, hand-pouring, getting the color just right or painting them by hand. Fowler also makes her own candle molds, and has about 400 on hand.

“There’s so much to it,” she said. “If a candle’s not right, I’ll (pour it) four times. I like to turn out a product I’m proud of and people are proud of.”

The toughest part about owning her own business is getting her name out, Fowler said.

“That’s why I still do some of the crafts shows,” she said. “A lot of people go to the crafts shows only, especially in the small towns. I just enjoy getting out, meeting different people and going to different areas.”

Fowler still sells candles at Goodfellow Air Force Base once a month for three days, a crafts show opportunity she’s participated in since 1999 that has allowed her to ship candles all over the world, including Germany, Guam and Okinawa.

Standard-Times: How has business been so far?

Fowler: It’s been picking up more and more each month. A lot of people walk in and are just amazed at the different things I can do with candles. The best part is just having customers come in and look at what I do, customers who say, “Oh, I love your candles” and come back. Just the satisfaction. I know women love candles and just the joy of having their home smell with a fragrance that they like.

What’s involved in the candle-making process?

Getting the right type of wax for your container — there’s different types of waxes, certain waxes for glass jars, certain waxes for pillars, certain waxes for figurines. And there are all different types of additives that have to be added to your wax per teaspoon or pounds.

Melting temperature has a lot to do with it. Making a good candle that’s going to burn, your wick makes a difference. There are different wicks for different candles.

To keep them from fading or so it won’t have bubbles, there’s different additives. The wax has to be at a certain temperature to set up, and, of course, you have to prepare your molds your colors and your fragrances, how many fragrances per pound.

It’s like making a cake, really. A good chef knows how to make a wonderful cake — it’s the same way with candles, you’ve got to know your candles, you’ve got to know your wax products. There’s a lot of wax out there; it’s just trial and error.

You dip and pour candles. How are the processes different?

Dipping candles is totally different than pouring candles. You take a string and dip it 30, 40, 50 times. I made 15 candles for a guy in Abilene that he wanted hand-dipped and it took 45 dips per candle. The first batch came out fine, the second batch the weather has a lot to do with it — it was too cool. The third time, it was too hot.

I’ll do it either way. Hand-dipped is going to be more like a taper — it’s going to have some ridges on it because of air getting to it.

What does a candle need to burn well and last a long time?

A lot of people will purchase a candle somewhere and they’ll say it didn’t burn right. A good hand-poured candle is one that has the right wax, oils and additives. A lot of it has to do with the type of wick you use, the size wick. I use a very good quality wax, a good quality wick. I put lots of fragrance in mine. (The burn time) depends on the size. I had one small candle which was in a jar probably 2 inches by 3 inches tall, and it was about a quarter full, and it burned 25 hours here in the store.

I had a customer come in a year ago and buy two pillars, I’d say 3 (inches) by 9 (inches), or 3 (inches) by 10 (inches), and she came in and got two more the other day. I asked her how she liked the candles, and she said, “Oh, I just love them. I’m still burning them.” I have customer who comes in every six months and some that come in every month or so and buy 10 to 12 jars and give them as gifts.

What’s your most popular fragrance?

Vanilla pound cake. I can’t keep my vanilla pound cake (on the shelf). Peaches and cream, leather. I have about 200 fragrances. If I don’t have it, I can get it.

What kind of special items can you customize for customers?

I can customize just about any candle that they would like — even gift baskets with candles and bath soaps. I did a wedding candle with a silhouette picture of the bride and groom on the front. I did a three-tiered wedding cake candle that was decorated like a cake. I’ve done wedding candles with the wedding invitation on the front. I’ve done them with different prayers on the front. I apply it to the candle and put a sealer over it and it’s decorated with beads and pearls and ribbon and whatever they’d like to match their wedding colors.

What items are the most labor intensive?

Probably the most time-consuming was a 16-pound candle I did — I poured it four times. There’s so much that can cause a candle not to come out. And also the helmet and the fireplugs — it takes three days to do both of those. I’ve done some with motorcycles on the front that take a while to do. Candle roses, even though they’re small, they take a day and a half to do one rose. There are so many things I can do if someone wants it.

What are some of your goals for your business?

I would like to expand one day. I’m running out of room now. There are a lot of molds I haven’t poured because I’m running out of room.

I would like to expand on doing weddings. I’ve got a wedding I did arrangements for in July — the table settings and silk (flower arrangements). I’d like to venture out more into weddings, candles, silk arrangements, anything like that.

I used to do demonstrations dipping candles out at the base. I might consider doing one at the crafts show in September if I can get the space.

You mentioned you make soap now, too. How is that going?

I just started doing the soaps probably September, October. I just taught myself on doing those. I’ve sold some here in the shop, and I’ve sold a lot in the craft shows. They like the soaps.